I'd like to start a monthly Zoom hour, starting November. A free for all miniature painting hour where we come together to all chat about a topic that arises from this forum, eg..... well you tell me, what's on your mind? It could be something practical eg paper preparation, something art historical eg studying a particular piece, something philosophical eg a question of style, or... and I really want to do this... chat about My Name is Red, Orhan Pamuk, like a book club*... or physical or theoretical or emotional eg what does it mean to be an artist.. whatever!
I think it makes sense to limit the hour to 1 topic only rather than 2 as stuff will come up and we can address that during the session. It could be structured like a seminar or more informal and you just bring stuff to the table.
*having never ever been to an actual book club, I am open to suggestions. I imagine a really nice room lined with books floor to ceiling, Borgesian library dream heaven, and a quiet, rarefied atmosphere where I would feel ever so slightly out of place having yes read the book but being an introvert not quite ready to voice my opinions in the company of intellectual titans** so deciding instead to sit next to the cookies. Ooooh... cookies. Can't provide that online but my ideal book club/salon (definitely more comfortable with salon = artists!) would also have tea (provided by me, I have an amazing collection) and cake (provided by you, the other people). Artists are always more comfortable around food (speak for myself) and in post Covid real life I'd like to have miniature painting food themed dinners too. Brains need food.
**this online book club of mine will not accept snobbery of any sort btw. A person's a person, no matter how small (Dr Seuss) and no question is stupid at all. So roll up, I'll provide the professional Zoom account, you come armed having read the book/chapter and we'll talk, informally and peacefully and happily about miniature painting as described by Orhan Pamuk in My Name is Red to start and then... I welcome your thoughts! And your schedules - what kind of days/times suit you?
Hello! I love the this idea! The chatting and the "My Name is Red" book club! I have only read the first few chapters but already am intrigued and would love to discuss!!!! I love your description of the dream book club and wish I could provide those cookies!!!!! I am in New York and so for me any time after GMT 13:00 would be perfect but I know you have people from all over and so realise it may not be possible to accommodate my time frame!!! My best wishes and thanks, Alison
Thanks Alison and good to know your timings! I will maybe not start with My Name is Red as not everyone has read the whole thing but instead start with a topic of interest. Or maybe figure out how to do one of those polls...
Yesssss it's happening!!! Naturally I love this and would be the first to sign up for a seat, a cake and a smoky pu-erh! I send my hearty enthusiasm! I could make it work from 14:00 GMT onwards (I'd be in Santa Fe, which is 7 hours behind London). My days of the week are very flexible. Ever grateful for your beautiful brainchildren, Vaishaliiiii!
Haha brainchildren ;-) I love your words Nadia and if you ever write a book I will create a whole book club around it with smoky teas! Times noted! Thank you x
Morning times in US as I start work at 15:30 GMT. So anytime before teatime in U.K (and in fact that would be lovely....monthly tea and discussion with Vaishali and all of you lovelies?). im also off work on weds and thurs and have a lot of flexibility on those days....
Yes yes to book club!!! Have been reading my name is red at breakfast, such a thrilling way to start the day.
(What is teatime in the UK actually?) (could be 11.00am, could be 15.00pm, 16.00pm afternoon teas, or 17.00pm 'tea' as they sometimes call dinner... or supper...) Times noted! thank you x
OK folks - please vote for best date/time that suits you: https://strawpoll.com/7fgf2vos1
(That was the first poll I have ever created!)
In the diary for Tuesday 17 Nov, 6-7pm GMT then - I will make an Eventbrite link and share it shortly (after Carpet Pages III: Pixels opens). It's open to the public and since my Carpet Pages III: Pixels show will have had 2 online public private view (?!!) opening nights by then, I will, erm, know what I am doing Zoom-wise then (maybe) (tips and experience very welcome)
On my calendar! I shall wear my golden frock...
I shall not wear a golden crown because one of those I do not own
I shall not lay my brushes down because I do like them when I'm at home.... ;-)
Happy Halloween everyone, hope to see you at Carpet Pages at one event perhaps, and also see you at this!
And here is the Eventbrite link to the Monthly Miniature Meeting MMM!
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/free-monthly-zoom-hour-miniature-painting-forum-the-conference-of-the-birds-tickets-128753117039
I look forward to seeing you all online! Please let me know if any glitches during the sign up process for the free tickets. I set up a recurring MMM for the 3rd Tuesday of the month (suitably random date in the middle of the month)
(Middle Monthly Miniature Meeting MMMM)
(apologies if it's anyone's birthday!)
ooh! who's birthday?
Registering and counting down the days! I so look forward!
@Nadia Madden I wonder! Nobody I know but who knows
It's been my dream to have an artist's community anchored in the vision of the birds..... Thank you Vaishali for your work building spaces for the manifestation of our collective dreams.
from "Conference of the Birds" as drawn by Peter Sis:
Thank you for your lovely comment @Nadia Madden ! I am so happy to share this space with you all and I hope one day in real life too, a real life conference that can be like a mini holiday for us all. Yes keep dreaming!
On dreaming: children's books - I love Peter Sis and his work! I'm sure I'm not alone in collecting children's books. Regardless of whether or not you have kids... they are still great. I bought them when I didn't have kids and now buy even more.
@Vaishali Prazmari @Nadia T. Madden thank you for introducing me to this image and this author!
Also, another thing - thank YOU all, too (y'all!) (2nd person plural that exists in New Orleans and I wish would be extended to global English, it's so useful!) - YOU are the community so wouldn't exist without you. So we are all the birds.
exactly! speaking of....I still need to figure out how to explore Carpet Pages to find the brush!
@Nadia Madden did you read the clue I posted on social media? Do you need another clue? ;-) I think I may have made it slightly too hard! The 1st one (the carpet) people got but the 2nd one, nobody so far! It is literally a needle in a haystack I know!
@Vaishali Prazmari I still need to figure out how to explore the exhibit!
I lived in Texas for ages and they use that wonderfully inclusive phrase there too!!! Thank y'all!!!!
I know, we should bring it back! Useful when addressing a group. English in that sense is actually quite democratic and politeness is found in different ways... incidentally in modern Persian/Farsi there is no he or she, just s/he or it (u). Yet in other languages - eg. Korean and Japanese languages - there are multiple ways to address 'you', if you're younger, older, family, a stranger, a teacher, the king...I wonder actually how this would be related to portraiture then. Actually one of the premises of My Name is Red is that portraiture is kind of the 'ultimate' art because you're capturing a likeness of that person, the essence of 'you', or 's/he/it'. (Maybe there's a less s/h/it way of saying 3rd person singular!) Don't want to give too much away about the book though as know that people are still reading!
Hi: Eventbrite is not letting me sign into the event, I don't know what's wrong.....is there another way to join? I got a ticket well in advance.
I will create individual events on Eventbrite and then should be easy like joining Carpet Pages. Sorry about that!
It was just perfect! So good to meet everyone and so looking forward to the next one!!!
Structure of Book Club - like a 'Club-in-club', a little mini-section of our Monthly Miniature Meets... My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk has 59 chapters so if we do a chapter a month, that'll keep us going for a while... any thoughts? And is very feasible and doable as chapters are short and so are our meetings. Doing a chapter a meeting, slowly progressing through the book at a slow human pace I like - there's enough in here to unpack and I think this is feasible! So this meeting-within-a-meeting could focus on that one chapter and then we can focus on someone's work or more broadly about miniatures...
Sample Monthly Miniature Meeting structure:
To start, 20 mins discuss one chapter of My Name is Red which should open up some more broad questions/discussions.
Focus on somebody's work, one individual to show their work and everyone give feedback, comments, thoughts, suggestions, like a crit in art school, with respect (to be pre-arranged beforehand) 20 mins
Broad questions and discussions 20 mins
Feedback on this structure welcome! Let me know your thoughts! And, anyone up for sharing their work on 20.1.21, 6-7pm? (sorry, can't make the 19th this time)
If I were anymore on board, I'd be the train itself! I've monopolized past meetings talking about my work, so just consider me an alternate if nobody else volunteers! :)
I love this idea!!! A chapter a month makes for good slow reading. Would it be chapter One this month? I am sad but had to miss last meeting so may have missed the information!
Happy new year, Alison; I look forward to seeing you next Tuesday!
So looking forward to seeing you! The happiest of new years to you too!!!!!!
Yep - Chapter 1 this month, Jan 20th!
Looking forward!!!!!! Thank you so very much for arranging this treat for us all!!!